The control system of a vehicle can monitor numerous categories and types of data during operation of the vehicle. The control system can receives signals from one or more velocity sensors to monitor vehicle speed, from one or more lateral acceleration sensors to monitor vehicle stability, from diagnostic sensors to monitor conditions such as temperature, pressure, and engine revolutions per minute. Also, the control system can monitor serial/parallel data as well as analog/digital signals
The control system can also execute several different types of commands. For example, the control system can receive input from the driver and control the functions of an entertainment system of the vehicle. Also, the control system receive signals from vehicle sensors and execute commands. For example, the controller can receive a signal from a windshield rain sensor corresponding to rain and control the windshield wipers to engage.
Attempts have been made to tap into the control system of the vehicle with electronic peripheral devices. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,633,482 and 6,788,528 disclose examples of such attempts.